


Praying for a home in your arms

by LoveLetterPolaroids



Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies)
Genre: Abuse, Anorexia, Crushes, Depression, Hand Job, Hurt and comfort, M/M, Self-Harm, Suicide Attempt, happy ending!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-20
Updated: 2017-01-24
Packaged: 2018-09-18 17:10:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,852
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9395027
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LoveLetterPolaroids/pseuds/LoveLetterPolaroids
Summary: Newt sighed, changing into something loose and comfortable as his old tight clothing made his back or his cuts bleed. When he finally walked downstairs the first person he saw was Percival, which instantly brightened his mood.Or, years of abuse have left Newt feeling quite hopeless, and he doesn't know how to fix it.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Please tell me about any spelling/grammar mistakes so I can fix them as this is unbeta'd
> 
> Hope you like it! I'll be updating every day!

"Now go to your room, and think about why you deserved that" 

It was an all too familiar phrase, one he heard every day as his dad put the belt away.

Theseus had always been the golden child, strong and as manly as he could be, while Newt was quite the opposite. Newt enjoyed reading and cooking, and more recently, his creatures. 

He had three bowtruckles and a niffler, who he loved more than anybody, not that he had a lot of people to love. He wanted to love his family, but it was hard sometimes with what he went through. Theseus was generally nice, but part of him was hurt that he never did anything to help Newt. 

He always tried to do what his father said, to think about why he needed to be hit, but he never did really understand why he deserved to be beaten. He was sure he was just missing something, why would his parents hurt him if he didn't deserve it? 

In his frustration and sadness he often took it out on himself, leaving rows of cuts along his wrists and thighs.

The only nice thing in his life was Percival, but he only saw him a few times a year now when he came home with Theseus. Percival didn't seem to get along with his own family, though Newt had never asked about it.

Despite being just as strong as his brother, Percival was kind to Newt, and while he was three years older, being nineteen while Newt was sixteen, Newt had developed a small crush. 

\-----------

Newt sat in his room, wincing as he pulled his shirt on over his hurt back. He knew better than to try and heal himself with charms as it would only get him in more trouble next time. 

Newt tried to stay positive though, because it was the holidays, the only time he really felt normal anymore. He hoped it would be fun, being with his whole family again. Maybe his parents would forget about hurting him over the holidays

He had been kicked out of hogwarts, so he was often quite lonely at the house. The creature he had 'endangered human life' with was with Hagrid, which made him feel a little better when he thought of it. He had been afraid they would put the creature down, but Hagrid had always understood his love of creatures. 

Newt laid in bed, staring up at his ceiling until he fell asleep while his niffler settled down on his stomach. 

He woke with a start as his door was swung open the next morning

"Newt!" Theseus cheered, walking in and grimacing as a creature scurried away under the bed. He sat on the edge of the mattress then, face turning into a smile once again 

"How are you?" Theseus asked

Newt rubbed his eyes before he sat up, smiling at his brother 

"Good, it's been lonely without you here" he admitted, voice groggy as he slowly getting out of bed.

"I've missed you too, get dressed, mum has already cooked breakfast" Theseus said before he walked out of the room, shutting the door. 

Newt sighed, changing into something loose and comfortable as his old tight clothing made his back or his cuts bleed. When he finally walked downstairs the first person he saw was Percival, which instantly brightened his mood.

"Oh hey, Newt! Good to see you again" the older boy said, pulling Newt in for a hug. Something always told him that the boy didn't get enough hugs. He wasn't to surprised when Newt pressed into the hug, and like always he let the boy be the one to pull away, so he got what he needed. He knew that Newt may be having a hard time after getting kicked out from school. 

"It's good to see you again too" Newt whispered, holding on for a few seconds more than normal before he stepped back.

They walked to the kitchen together, Percival getting a large plate of food while Newt got significantly less than everyone else. 

"So, Theseus, how's school?" Their father asked as they started eating, watching Theseus with what looked to be pride. 

"It's great.. the quidditch team is doing really well this year. But nothing is better than being home with family" Theseus hummed, making his mother coo.

"Yes, well, hopefully by this time next year Newt won't be around. We're thinking of sending him off to Ilvermorny" their father  said

Newts head snapped up, and he bit his lip "that's.. that so far away" he murmured "I don't know if I want to go there.. I-I don't need to finish school to take care of my creatures"

It was sudden when a hand smacked down on the table "that's enough about those damn monsters, Newton! You need to go back to school where'll you'll learn about a real career. As soon as you settle down with a girlfriend and a job you'll see how stupid these creatures are"

When Newt glanced around the table he could see that everyone wore a different expression. His mother looked as if she agreed, which made Newts heart break. He had always wanted to be a good child, to be someone his mum could be proud of. He didn't know if that was achievable anymore. Theseus looked uncomfortable, like he wanted to say something but he never would. Percival though, Percival was wearing a look of poorly concealed anger. Newt worried for a moment that it was directed towards him, but he quickly realized it was the opposite. Knowing that Percival was on his side made him feel a little more confident.

Newt was quiet for a moment, unsure of how to say that he didn't want any of that. The career was one thing, but they've had that argument before. With his newfound courage, he spoke up again.

"I don't know if I want a girlfriend.. maybe" Newt paused, staring at his untouched food and rubbing the back of his neck "maybe a boyfriend is more my thing"

Everyone was silent for an uncomfortably long amount of time before their father stood, looking like he might start steaming from the ears

"That is enough! You do not have a say in the matter and you absolutely will not bring a boyfriend into this house. It's time you grew up and stop being such a fucking disgrace to this family! Get upstairs" their father said, and Newt had no chance of arguing more, so he did what he was told and ran upstairs.

He got beaten for the better part of an hour, his dad switching between the belt and is hands before he pushed Newt inside of his room and went back to their family. 

Newt sobbed quietly on his floor for hours, unable to move anywhere else at first because he was so badly hurt. When his door opened again he tensed, expecting to be hit again.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'll be good from now on" he whimpered

The door shut, and then there was a gentle hand on his side 

"it's okay, I'll help" Percival whispered, taking out his wand to heal Newt carefully. He just took away the pain, and the injuries unnoticeable to the eye. He suspected Newt would be beaten again if he healed all the wounds. He put a spell on him to help them heal faster though.

"You are good. You're going to be okay" Percival promised, using his magic to float Newt onto his bed instead of the hard floor. Once he was there he put his wand away, instead taking care in tucking the boy under his blanket while his creatures cuddled up around him.

"Rest, alright? We can talk later" Percival promised, staying until Newt drifted off before he left, having lied and just said he was going to the bathroom so he would have time to see Newt.

\-------

When Newt woke up it was almost lunch, but he had stayed in his room, deciding it was best not to be around his family yet. Instead he spent his time watching two of his bowtruckles make little beds for themselves with leaves and cotton. 

When he heard his family laughing downstairs he couldn't help but feel sad, wishing he could laugh with them. He ended up cutting himself, pressing a small blade from his razor against the pale skin on his arm. It was a nice relief, being able to hurt himself. He got to take out his frustration or his depression on himself in private, he got to be the one to choose how much pain his was in. 

After he heard everyone leave the table, he got up, opened his door slowly. He saw Percival heading into Theseus' room and quickly waved him over, letting him into his room instead

"Feeling okay, Newt?" Percival asked softly, looking the boy over once for any sign of discomfort

Newt nodded "I'm okay.. it's just,  I wanted to thank you, I was wondering if I could ask you for a favour" he explained

Percival smiled, glad to hear that he was feeling better

"Of course, anything" he replied

"Well.. I was hoping, since I can't go to hogwarts, maybe when you go back you could take my creatures to Hagrid" Newt forced out of himself, heart hurting at just the thought 

Percival furrowed his eyebrows, glancing up at the small bowtruckles and the niffler that was rummaging around in Newts drawers to find something shiny 

"Why would you want to do that, Newt? They're happy with you" Percival promised. He had never quite understood why these creatures were hated, and he thought that Newt could really do good in the world, he could make people see how beautiful these creatures were. 

Newt swallowed hard "well.. I don't know when I'll be sent away, and I doubt that I'll be able to take my creatures with me. I'd sleep better knowing they're with someone who will care for them" he explained

Percival frowned, reaching up to touch Newts cheek gently "maybe you want to think about this some more —"

"No, I've decided. Please. Promise me that you'll take them to Hagrid" Newt begged

Something seemed off, and it made Percival feel uneasy, but he nodded anyway

"Okay, I'll take them to Hagrid for you. I promise"

Newt smiled weakly, hugging Percival again "okay.. thank you" he whispered "you're the nicest person I know"

Percival chuckled slightly, not sure how many people could say that, but he supposed Newt didn't have many nice people around him. 

Soon he had to get back to Theseus though, and he left Newt with a kiss to the cheek before he left. 

Newt was more than a little flustered once he left, putting a hand over his cheek and giggling quietly. The joy didn't last long though, and once it died down he was left with the emptiness he always felt. 

It didn't help when his father came upstairs, telling him that he should start packing because if no wizarding school would take him, he would still be sent away to a muggle school.

He didn't have many things to arrange after that, he just got his bowtruckles and his niffler into their cages before he set the notes of how to take care of them on his desk, along with a note that said 'get them to Hagrid safely, please'.

He didn't see any reason to do anything else before he laid on his bed, getting out his blade and rolling up his sleeves.

He felt quite stupid for ever believing he could do more than this. Everyone was right, he would do nothing special in his life, and he was a disgrace. He wished he could be more like Theseus, then at least he would be seen in a better light, but he couldn't. 

He didn't even believe that anyone would miss him. 

Newt grabbed his wand and set a strong locking charm on the door before laying down. He had to take a few deep breaths, just to stop his hands from shaking, but soon enough he was holding up his arm, cutting deep into it before doing the same to his other.

Newt rested his arms by his sides once that was done and tried not to look at them, instead closing his eyes and letting himself cry. He wanted to die, but at the same time he was scared, hoping that Percival would get his Creatures to safety before his parents did something with them.

He trusted Percival though, he had never had a shred of doubt about how good of man he was. 

God, he was going to miss him.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please consider this to be an AU as the timeline is super messed up and Percival is in the UK. I hope you're all enjoying it anyway! 
> 
> I loved all of your comments so much, please let me know what you think of this chapter!

Things in the Scamander house were calm for a long time, they had all settled down in the living room to listen to Theseus tell stories of Hogwarts when there was a crash from upstairs and them some scurrying.

The first time, they all carried on right away, intrigued by Theseus' stories. It seemed like Theseus had discovered a lot more secrets of the school than he had, but then again, he wanted to be in the army, which he could achieve just by finishing school and then training. He didn't have to take so many extra courses like Percival did.

Then there was another crash, and everyone paused, seeming to think about what the noise could be.

Percival looked up, like somehow he would be able to see into Newts room through the ceiling and check if he was okay. He knew the boy was clumsy, but he doubted he was running around in his room being as hurt as he was.

"He's probably playing with his monsters. He better not set them loose" Mr. Scamander muttered

Suddenly there was loud scratching, and Percival started getting the feeling that something might be wrong. He had never seen the creatures attempt to leave the room. They genuinely had a deep bond with Newt and they knew nobody else here would take care of them like he did.

He couldn't imagine how much Newt was hurting, with having to give away his creatures on top of what happened to him at home. He hoped that once Newt was settled in at a new school he might be able to pull a few strings and get his creatures back to him.

"I'll go tell him to keep it down" Ms. Scamander huffed when the scratching didn't stop, leaving only to come back a moment later looking confused 

"His door is locked. I can't undo the charm and he won't open it" she informed them, looking a little more annoyed now. Percival couldn't imagine why they insisted on treating Newt this way. Even if they didn't understand what he wanted to do right now, he was still a sweet boy. 

Percival stood up slowly "maybe I can talk some sense into him" he offered, waking up the stairs. He didn't feel surprised as the whole family followed him. His parents probably because they wanted to yell at Newt, and Theseus because well... he was probably just curious. He imagined that Newt wasn't allowed to lock his door a lot, and especially when he wouldn't open it the first time they asked.

Percival knocked on the door softly, feeling his heart beat faster as the scratching continued and the knob of the door turned frantically over and over. 

"Newt? Are you alright in there? Could you open the door, love?" He said, waiting a few moments with no answer before pulling out his own wand.

Percival was a strong wizard, he knew this, and after a few tries he broke the charm and swung the door open 

The first thing he took in were the cages on the floor, and then the niffler that had started pulling on his pant leg. When he looked back he could see it was the bowtruckles that had been trying to turn the knob, and that's when —

"Merlins beard" Theseus whispered, making Percival look up at Newt.

The boy would look like he was sleeping peacefully had it not been for the pool of blood he was laying in.

"Newt!" He cried, running to the bed and pressing his wand to one of his arms, making the wound stitch itself up quickly

Newt opened his eyes slowly when he heard all the noise, feeling like he was very far away even as Percival touched him

"N-no" he whined, as he felt his wound being healed, weakly trying to push the boy away. On a good day Newt wouldn't be able to, so in this state he was doing nothing more then batting at his chest lightly, not moving him an inch.

"It's okay, Newt. It's going to be just fine. Keep your eyes open for me, okay? Don't close them" Percival instructed Newt, trying to stay calm for now so he wouldn't mess anything up worse. He cursed himself for not paying a little more attention to healing spells.

When he glanced back and saw that everyone was just watching he felt anger flare up in him, wishing he would see anything more than shock.

"Go call someone! A doctor! Act like you care about him for once!" He yelled, knowing that there wasn't much else he could do himself now that the wounds were closed.

"No. Please" Newt whimpered, tears pouring down his face to soak his pillow. He didn't understand why Percival was stopping him, why he would want Newt to have to stay alive and feel like this forever.

Percival reached up, wiping the tears gently. His stomach turned when he saw the rest of the cuts on the boy's arms, hating the thought of Newt feeling so alone and hurt that he would cut into his own skin. He wished he would have stepped in sooner, that he would have made him understand how precious he was, and how much he needed him to be alive. 

It only took a few minutes for someone to arrive.Wizards trained in medicine coming in and doing everything they could to keep him alive. 

While they worked Percival had to leave, and he used the time to carefully scrub the blood off his hands and his wand. He put on new clothes too, never wanting to have Newts blood on him again. Percival stared at himself in the mirror for a moment, pulling himself together. He was not about to cry and make Newts parents act like they care, or make Newt feel guilty. 

After a couple long hours of them working on Newt and giving Newt more blood, they were informed that he would live, but that they should let Newt come back with them to be on suicide watch.

"That won't be necessary" Percival spoke, standing up tall 

"I'll be taking him home with me. I'll watch him" he decided, not leaving room for an argument.

He wasn't going to leave Newt somewhere where he might be forced to try this again, this time when Percival wasn't there to save him. Newt deserved so much more than this.

The wizards soon left and Ms. Scamander touched his shoulder "you can't just.. take him, hon. We appreciate that, but he's our son"

"I could, no, I _should_ have all of you arrested for what you've done to him. You don't think this is your doing? I'm not letting him live here anymore to be abused and put down" Percival said, walking into the bedroom again where Newt was curled up on his side.

He shut the door before anyone else could come in, but he let his anger slip away as he approached Newts bed.

He wasn't about to let this boy hurt any longer. He kept getting flashes back to Newt covered in blood and he didn't want to see that again. He would lay down his own life to protect this boy. The thought that he could've lost him made his heart ache in a way he had never felt before. He thought about Newt saying he wanted a boyfriend, and let himself imagine for a moment that that could be him, but quickly shook the thought from his head. That was not what he should be focusing on right now.

"Newt" he whispered, sitting on the edge of the mattress. They had been able to remove all the blood from it, but he still felt like he could see the blood soaked fabric.

"Y-you should've just let me die" Newt whispered, eyes shut hard, like maybe there was still a chance of him drifting away.

"No, no, you don't deserve to die. What would your creatures do without you? You're a good kid. What your family thinks doesn't define you, my boy" Percival promised, touching his side and sighing. He knew that right now Newt might not care about himself, so mentioning his creatures might do him some good. 

"I would like for you to come live with me. I have a home not on Hogwarts property so you'll be allowed there. You don't have to hurt anymore" 

In fact, he was almost finished at Hogwarts. He had to stay and do a few more courses if he wanted to qualify to work at MACUSA, but he was close to being done, and then they could start a new life.

Newt was quiet for a long time, thinking about the offer "why would you want me there?" He whispered

Percival smiled "because you have so much potential, what is it you want to be? Ah, a magizoologist, correct?" He asked

Newt nodded slowly, feeling a small bubble of pride inside himself hearing someone else say it

"Yes, a magizoologist. The first one even. You could be the one to change how every future generation treats these creatures. That's too important to let go of. Even more than that, you haven't had a chance to be happy yet. Life doesn't always hurt. If you're hurting here, it isn't the right place for you. Come home with me, I'll show you how things should be" Percival said, keeping his voice soft as Newt was still recovering. 

Newt turned towards him finally, looking up into his eyes "may I bring my creatures?" He whispered

Percival smiled brightly as he nodded "of course. We may have to figure out something as you get more, but they are welcome"

Newt nodded slowly "okay.. we'll come" he decided, slowly getting up. 

He hugged Percival while he got his balance back, trying to stand but he was laid back down gently before he could.

Instead, Percival packed up everything Newt needed and got his creatures back in their cages, grabbing everything Newt said he wanted to bring. 

When he glanced back to the bed after a beat of silence he noticed Newt was crying, and following his like of sight he saw that he was looking at where the door was all scratched up.

"Your creatures were trying to open the door, trying to get help. Because of them we got here in time. See how much they care about you? They all love you" Percival whispered, brushing Newts tears away again before he helped him stand up and took him out to say his goodbyes to his family. 

He didn't want to stay one more night in this home.

Newt stayed plastered to Percivals side, not able to make eye contact as he said his awkward goodbyes. He did hug Theseus, promising to see him soon, but he didn't hug his parents, just saying goodbye before they used the floo to get to Percivals house.

Newt stepped in and set his bags down before looking around, feeling a little out of place. The house wasn't huge, and the fact that it didn't look too fancy eased his nerves, but he still couldn't fathom why Percival wanted him here.

Percival noticed that Newt was standing in one spot, shaking like a leaf so he approached him, placing an arm around him.

"I have a guest room for you. It's not huge, but I'm sure we can make it feel like home for you" Percival promised, leading the boy down to hall and into the correct room. He made sure that he was supporting Newt in case he felt dizzy. The boy had lost a lot of blood earlier.

"You can do whatever you'd like with the space. It's all yours" Percival hummed, setting down the cages for the creatures on the desk. Percival glanced around and imagined what it would look like once Newt decorated. Maybe he would paint the walls a lighter shade, or cover them with images and instructions on creatures. He imagined a big map on the wall, showing where each creature would be found and decided that he could maybe get him one for Christmas or his next birthday.

Newt turned and hugged Percival quickly   
"Thank you" he whispered, face buried against the others chest 

Percival smiled, holding the boy close "I just want you to be happy, you deserve freedom" 

"So.. I could do anything?" Newt whispered 

Percival smiled "that's right. Anything that would make you happy" he responded

Newt seemed to think about the words for a moment before he leaned up quickly, pressing their lips together and well, Percival wouldn't deny him that.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late update today, I had another chapter that I wanted to post and decided to write this one instead lol
> 
> There will be two more chapters after this one :)
> 
> Let me know what you think of this chapter in the comments!

Living with Percival was good. Newt got lonely sometimes when Percival was at Hogwarts during the days but he had plenty to do. 

Percival had suggested he use the suitcase he had brought with him as a home for his creatures, and Newt fell in love with the idea immediately. His creatures would have room to run around, and he could get even more animals without running out of space. 

He stayed in his case all day sometimes, making the perfect habitat for his niffler, and then growing a large tree for the bowtruckles. He made himself a little shed as well, so he had a place to prepare food or just sit down. 

When Percival did get home at night, Newt made sure to make time for him, feeling so grateful for being here. They had started a bit of a relationship too. He thought so anyway. They hadn't talked about it a lot, but they would kiss, and occasionally Newt would sleep in his bed. It was nice, it was something he had always wanted

Everything was perfect, and yet he was still sad.

Newt found himself still staying in bed until the afternoon, without the energy to get up. He didn't eat well, and sometimes he still looked at the scars on is arms, wondering if he would be happier dead.

He tried to push through it, not wanting it to seem like Percival wasn't giving him enough. He was doing the most anyone had ever done for Newt, and yet everything felt hopeless.

He had moments of happiness when his creatures liked their habitats, or when Percival kissed him and called him 'baby', but nothing lasted long enough to get him though the night without that familiar emptiness inside of him. 

One day it was just too much, and Newt found himself breaking open a razor he found in the hall closet, taking one of the blades to his arm in his room. He lined his wrist with swallow cuts, controlling how deep the base went. He didn't want to die, he just needed to hurt. He needed to be in control of that.

Of course, he had forgotten that today Percival came home early, which is why his boyfriend walked in on him with blood running down his arm.

\-----

Percival knew a change of scenery could be difficult, but Newt had done well so far. He liked the house, and he spent a lot of time making a perfect home for his creatures. Percival hoped he was just as happy about the kissing. 

He tried not to push himself on Newt, not wanting the boy to start thinking he had to do things in return for staying there. Newt didn't shy away though, and often asked with pink cheeks for kisses, or to cuddle at night. Percival may be in love. He had decided to stop being shy about this too. He wanted Newt to know how much he wanted to be with him.

He hadn't expected Newt to get better right away, but it was still a big shock when he came home to find Newt cutting himself.

Percival was careful not to freak out, seeing that there were many cuts instead on the long deep ones he had tried to kill himself with, and he approached Newt slowly, taking some tissues from beside the bed to start cleaning him up.

"I-I'm sorry. Please don't hate me" Newt begged, sounding close to tears. He didn't try to pull away, though he felt embarrassed.

Percival shook his head, kneeling down and giving the boy a small smile 

"I could never hate you" he promised, wiping up the blood gently 

"It's not that I'm not happy here. You... You've been wonderful to me" Newt tried to explain

Percival pulled out his wand soon and healed the cuts, making them stop bleeding. He sat down and pulled Newt into his lap then in one big motion, holding him close.

"Newt, I didn't expect you to get better all at once. The sort of trauma you've had... baby, it doesn't just go away. Depression isn't easy, and I brought you here so you'll have the chance to get better without being rushed. You're safe here, but you have to try not to hurt yourself, okay?" Percival murmured, speaking calmly as Newts nerves eased again

"It's hard" Newt whispered

"I know" Percival whispered "I know it is, and I'm not angry, I won't be angry if you do this twenty more times before you can start getting better. But I do care about you, and I need you to be careful. If you have to do this you can call me and we can maybe talk instead of you hurting yourself. Or, if you cut yourself we can talk about what made you do it. You don't need to hide any of your feelings in this home"

Newt cried quietly against Percivals shirt, feeling like this just had to be a nice dream. Nobody could be this good to him.

"I don't want to bother you" Newt sniffled

Percival pressed a kiss to Newts temple "you wouldn't be. I would happily take time out of my day to make sure that you're safe." He promised, "you won't be punished for those things. I will never hit you. I'm going to do everything in my power to make sure that nobody ever hurts you again" 

Newt looked up finally, eyes rimmed red from crying "what about when we're older? You'll.. you'll want me to leave"

Percival hummed, rubbing Newts side "well, if it's alright with you, I was already planning on you being with me forever" he smiled "us kissing in public isn't accepted now.. but one day it will be" he whispered

Newt couldn't help but start crying again before he put his hands on Percivals jaw and kissed him, feeling his heart beat faster. He had never been sure that he believed in love until he kissed Percival for the first time. 

Percival kissed back for a minute before pulling back and moving Newt onto the bed "what do you say we find something to eat?" He asked 

Newt paused for a moment before nodding slowly. The rational part of his mind told him that he wouldn't be able to handle larger creatures weighing as much as he did right now, but he worried about Graves not liking how he looked. 

"What will we eat?" Newt asked, following him to the kitchen

Percival looked around for a minute before deciding "sandwiches?" He asked "would that be okay?" 

Newt swallowed hard before nodding "I guess" he whispered

Percival frowned at how he sounded and turned to lift Newt up, setting him on the counter "what's wrong?" He asked

He had noticed how small Newt was, and since he was never home he thought he just had a fast metabolism, but now he was starting to doubt that

"It's just.. that's.. it's a lot of bread, Percy" Newt whispered

Percival held Newt close, rubbing his back. He felt even more worried, finally feeling just how much Newt spine stuck out "what's wrong with that?"

Newt looked down, or at the wall, doing anything but making eye contact "I don't want to get fat" he finally whispered "I want you to think that I look pretty"

Percival couldn't help but smile "I _do_ think you look pretty, Newt. I want you to be healthy though. I'll always think that you're pretty. In fact, I would love it if you had a little tummy, or maybe bigger thighs, more space for me to kiss" he smirked

Newt felt his cheeks turn red, and he tried not to picture Percival kissing his thighs, not sure how that would end.

"Do you mean that?" Newt asked

Percival nodded "of course I do. I will love your body no matter what, and it would make me incredibly happy to know that you're healthy."

Newt watched Percival, and he could tell that he meant what he said, so he nodded slowly "I would love a sandwich" he decided 

Percival make them big sandwiches, packed with meats and veggies which they ate at the table. Percival had to encourage him to keep taking bites every now and then, but soon he had eaten almost all of it, and he couldn't help but feel a little proud of himself too.

Newt imagined them doing this years later, maybe when Percival was getting a little grey in his hair. He could see him like that, still holding Newts hand over the table as they ate.

He wondered if they really would be able to kiss in the streets one day, if they would hold each other's hand and tell people they were married. Maybe some day they would both be woken up at night by a baby crying in the next room, and they would playfully argue about who's turn it was to go rock the baby back to sleep. It sounded wonderful, and Newt thought that those were good reasons to keep going, so that those things could happen one day. 

\------

Percival had homework that day, so Newt retired into his case to give him some quiet. Newt had learned that he wanted to work at MACUSA, and while moving to America had never been a dream, it didn't sound terrible. He would follow Percival anywhere, and he was sure that there were even more creatures to be discovered in America.

He had a whole list of creatures he wanted to find now that he had the space. He would start with smaller ones, and move on to larger ones when he had proper habitats and had observed them enough in the wild. He wondered how full the case would be when he was in his thirties, if he will have to expand the case even more. Little did he know, he would have to expand it multiple times over the course of his life, until what it was now seemed like a closet in comparison. 

He chuckled when he walked to the nifflers habitat, seeing all the treasure. What used to be kept in a large bag was now spread out all over where the niffler was laying. Newt couldn't imagine it to be comfortable but his niffler looked like it was in heaven. Newt gave him some food before moving on to his bowtruckles.

That morning he had been lucky enough to witness one of the females laying her seeds. Instead of eggs bowtruckles laid seeds which sprouted into new bowtruckles. Newt had helped bury and water the seeds and he hoped that within a few days he would have some new, baby bowtruckles to look after. 

Newt stayed there for a while, helping the others make the little beds they would need for the new babies. He always found it so cute, the beds made from leaves and cotton that they strung up from branches, even if sometimes he worried they would fall and he took it upon himself to secrete the beds to the branches with a couple charms

After a couple hours Percival called 'Newt?' into the case and Newt came out a few minutes after that, smiling at his boyfriend. 

"All done with your homework?" Newt asked, locking the case before his niffler tried to get out to find more treasure.

Percival nodded "yes, at least for now. I'd much rather spend some time with you before bed. I'll have plenty of time to finish it before class tomorrow" 

Newt made sure he was telling the trith before he agreed, following Percival to his bedroom and sitting on the edge of the bed while Percy changed into pajamas.

"I was thinking about going into the woods soon. I've seen some little mice with horns in around, and in the mornings I'm almost sure that I can hear occamies" he told Percival, trying not to watch him while he changed. 

Percival pulle his shirt on before laying on the bed with Newt, pulling him to lay down as well so that he could hold him

"I don't now if I like the idea of you going out there alone... how about this weekend I come with you? We could make a camping trip out of it" he offered. He knew he wouldn't be able to keep Newt with him at all times forever, but at least until Newt knew what to expect in the woods he'd like to be there as backup if he ran into something dangerous. 

"Would you really like that?" Newt asked

Percival smiled "sure, I don't see why not. I used to go camping when I was younger, it'll be nice to do it again" 

"Great! Then it's a date" Newt said excitedly, before his cheeks coloured.

Percival only chuckled before agreeing "yes, it is then" he hummed, kissing Newts lips to keep him from babbling.

He planned on taking Newt on many dates, and he didn't mind calling their upcoming camping trip one.

That night, Newt found the sadness a little easier to deal with. It was still there, but it felt less heavy now that he knew that he didn't have to carry it alone.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please note that the tags have changed! There's smut in this chapter so if you're not okay with that stop reading when they fall asleep in the tent.
> 
> One more chapter after this one! I hope you'll all enjoy this chapter.
> 
> Let me know what you thought in the comments <3

All Newt had been talking about recently was their camping trip, about how much fun it would be, and how many new creatures they could catch. Newt seemed excited to show Percival this part of his life. 

The night before they left Newt spent a lot of time in his case, making sure he had everything he would need for the creatures that they planned to run into. He collapsed into bed with Percival at around midnight and fell asleep almost immediately, awake just long enough to feel strong arms wrapping around him.

In the morning Newt was up early despite going to bed late, starting to pack up the things he would need for himself like his clothes. Percival had already gotten their tarp to make a tent, fire wood, and every other essential thing they would need. 

Soon enough they apparated into the woods with their things and they walked around for a while before Newt decided on a spot for them to make their tent. They spent a while doing that, laughing together and playfully arguing until the tent was up and they could put their things under it. 

They went on a walk after that, walking slowly and stopping each time Newt saw tracks or droppings. He really had learned a lot, and it interested Percival. Seeing someone wanting to find these creatures to take care of them instead of harm them was beautiful. The first thing they caught were two of the mice with horns that Newt had seen before. He placed them in their habitat carefully before they moved on, walking up steep paths to get to the right places. Newt got a lot of magical bugs, as they were easiest to find, and soon they were returning to their campsite, hand in hand the whole way. 

Halfway there though, they heard a sudden cry and Newt stopped dead in his tracks, spinning around the find the direction of the cry before approaching it slowly.

Percival followed after him, not sure what to expect. Soon he saw what Newt was every so adorably cooing at, and he chuckled "what is it?" He asked, having trouble deciding whether it looked more like a snake or a bird.

"It's an occamy" Newt said, looking around before making a decision and approaching it 

"It must have been orphaned" he said sadly, picking up the creature carefully. He was quick to get it in his case and into the nest he had made in case he ran into one of these. 

"Poor guy" Percival hummed, leaning down to pick up a broken eggshell "is this silver?"

"Yes" Newt said, taking the eggshells to place into the nest as well "pure silver, actually"

Once the case was closed again they finished their walk back to the camp. Newt was more excited than he had ever seen before. Percival let him go down into his case for a while while he started a fire, deciding that it was time for lunch. Newt had been very good with eating since their talk, even if he needed encouragement while he did it. 

\-----

Newt was more than elated to have new creatures, and when he entered his case to hear so many new noises he couldn't help but jump and clap a little out of excitement. They had only been out here for half a day and he already had so many new friends. 

He was careful to keep his insects away from the occamy, and the occamy and niffler separated as well. He suspected that if the niffler ever heard that the occamy had a silver shell with it all hell would break loose. He fed each of the creatures, having to go through some old books to find what each creature liked to eat best. They all seemed happy though, and Newt came out of the case ready to eat as well. 

"What are we having?" He asked as he locked the case

Percival looked up and smiled "hotdogs. Wouldn't be a proper camping trip if we didn't" he smiled, the fire already started.

Newt grinned and moved into one of the chairs they had brought "I'll take your word for it" 

Percival sat down too after a moment with a package of hotdogs. Instead of using sticks he used his wand to hold one over the flame. 

Newt bit his lip, glancing between his own wand and the fire "could you make mine?" He asked. He didn't want to burn his own and Percival seemed quite confident in what he was doing.

Percival nodded and started cooking another one without question, instead asking Newt to get the buns and condiments out of his bag. 

Newt did this, and once his hotdog was ready he put ketchup on it and started eating, humming after the first bite 

"You're right, these take better when you're camping" Newt chuckled

Percival laughed softly and started eating his own hotdog. He ended up having one more but he let Newt stop at one, instead getting him to eat some of the fruit they had brought. 

Once they were both done eating Newt climbed inside the tent. He had proposed that they could stay in his case, but Percival insisted that staying if a tent would be much more fun. Newt set up both of their sleeping bags and with a small mischievous smile he zipped them together, so that they could cuddle during the night. Once that was set up he got out again.

Soon they went on another walk, unsuccessful in finding more creatures but they did find magical plants which Newt took happily, saying they would make his creatures feel more at home. They stayed out until dark, climbing trees and exploring until they made their way back to the campsite. 

Percival got the fire going again and made them dinner before he brought out ingredients for s'mores, showing Newt how to make one before giving him the ingredients.

Newt ate the first one with big eyes, saying it was the best thing he'd ever eaten and looking quite cute with his mouth covered in marshmallow and chocolate. While they were eating there was some rustling in the bushes and both of them sat up straighter, looking over curiously. It happened again and Percival stood up.

"Is someone there?" He called out, jumping slightly when a creature seemed to appear out of thin air. "Newt, is it dangerous?" He asked, as the creature was bigger than anything else they had seen that day

"Not at all" Newt whispered. Newt was in awe, and got up to approach the creature, kneeling down slowly to be at his level

The creature blinked at him before holding out a single purple flower, making Newt visibly fall in love

Newt took it with a soft 'thank you', before he touched the creatures hand, asking if he would like to come with him. Seeming to understand it nodded, and Newt helped it into the case. He realized that the creature had probably known exactly what would happen, and Newt was glad that he had approached him.

He hadn't expected to run into a demiguise, so he had to make the habitat now, but by the end the creature seemed happy, and Newt was more than pleased to have him stay. 

In fact, he brought Percival into the case, letting him meet all the new creatures from that day. 

"I'm so glad we went on this trip" Newt admitted "I hope you're having fun too"

Percival smiled, kissing Newts cheek "I've been having tons of fun. Seeing you so happy is all I need" he promised

Newt giggled quietly, turning his head to actually kiss Percival for a few seconds before hopping away. He found some food for the demiguise and made sure that he ate before moving on to planting all the plants he had gotten from the woods.

Percival helped, but even so they stayed in the case until they decided that it was probably time to go to bed. They left the case and Newt watched as Percival got into the tent, waiting for him to see what he had done with their sleeping bags. 

Percival got in and moved to get in to his sleeping bag when both his and Newts moved together. He realized what had happened then and chuckled

"very cute" he called to the boy, getting in so Newt could climb under the tarp and get in the sleeping bag. 

Newt got in and cuddled up to Percival "this was such a great day. Thank you for coming with me"

"I'm glad I did, who else would have protected you from the scary demiguise?" Percival joked, kissing Newts cheek before they went to sleep.

\----- 

When Newt woke up in the morning, it was because Percival was kissing his neck.

Newt giggled, feeling a little ticklish "what are you doing?" He asked

"Waking you up" Percival replied, not stopping his attack on Newts skin and starting to suck lightly or nip at the pale flesh

"You should always wake me up like this" Newt mumbled, quite enjoying it

"Yeah?" Percival hummed, moving on top of Newt with a grin to continue. 

Newt was sixteen though, and without much experience it was easy to get him worked up. He could tell Percival was just teasing him, but he started getting hard quickly, making him buck up against Percival and whine.

Percival raised an eyebrow at the motion and sat up a little "are you getting hard, baby?" He purred, feeling a little powerful in knowing that he could get Newt hard from just kissing his neck

Newt blushed bright red and nodded "y-yes, I'm sorry. It'll go away" he promised

Percival chuckled "don't you want to take care of it now? You have touched yourself before, right Newt?" He asked

Newt shrugged "not.. not really. I don't think I ever did it right" he explained. He had always been told that masturbation was something he should never do, even if all the other boys his age talked about it. Sometimes he would wake up already rutting against his bed though, and he wouldn't stop until he had an orgasm. Usually it felt him feeling ashamed and dirty afterwards, and he made sure to hide his underwear until he did laundry himself.

"I could show you how to do it, if you'd like. Or, I could just do it for you" Percival offered, kissing Newts lips again for a moment

Newt didn't even have to think about it before he nodded quickly "you should do it" he whispered, hoping this wasn't just some prank or test to see if Newt was a bad person.

Percival smiled and instead moved off of Newt, sitting on top of the sleeping bags and pulling Newt into his lap so he was straddling Percival "trust me, alright? You'll feel good"

Newt nodded, and let Percival take his pants and underwear off, revealing not only his hard dick but his thighs, which were covered in cuts and scars.

Percival ran his hands over the marked skin gently, making sure he didn't do anything to make Newt think he should be ashamed of this.

"So beautiful" he whispered. Percival searched for his wand for a moment before using a spell to put some lube in his hand, a spell everyone his age had taken great pleasure in learning during sexual education class. 

Percival pulled Newt in for a kiss as he wrapped his hand around Newts cock, starting to stroke him slowly. He grinned as Newt started moaning, keeping their foreheads pressed together as he sped up his hand.

Newt was sure that this must be heaven. He had never felt so good and he didn't understand why he would be punished for this. Why would anyone deny themselves this feeling? 

"Percy" he whimpered, too far gone to focus on kissing him back anymore.

Percival smirked and moved down to kiss Newts neck instead, hoping to calm him so he wasn't so tense. He didn't expect the boy to last long if he had never done this before, so after only a couple minutes when Newt rocked his hips up and shot into Percivals hand he just grinned.

"good boy" he smirked, slowing down his hand but not removing it until Newt had gone through the aftershocks of his orgasm. He used a spell to clean both of them up before laying down and pulling Newt close again.

"was that good?" Percival asked, brushing Newts hair back 

Newt giggled quietly and nodded "amazing" he whispered 

"Can we do that again one day?" Newt asked shyly

Percival hummed "we can do it whenever you'd like. There's plenty more that I can show you" he smirked

Newt smiled back, and staring up at his boyfriend, with the light from the sunrise flowing into their tent, he could see a future for them. He knew that this would last.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also, I know some of the things used in this chapter weren't invented in the early 1900s yet but as this is an AU I thought s'mores were much too important to leave out!


	5. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow! The last chapter already. I hope you've all enjoyed the story. Here's the happy ending that I promised!
> 
> The America in this story is a lot more progressive than real life America. 
> 
> Please comment and let me know if you liked the story!

**-two years later-**

Two years passed and they were finally settling into America. Percival had been hired as a junior auror just like Newt knew he would. 

It was nice to be somewhere new, a brand new start with the man he loved.

They got their own little house, and it had all they needed. While Percival trained with long days Newt decorated and made it their own. 

He sent Theseus letters every now and then, letting him know how he was and about everything he was doing. He didn't talk to his parents as much, as whenever he did they only told him that it wasn't too late to come home.

He wouldn't do that though. He was finally happy. He rarely had bad days where he couldn't get out of bed anymore, and he hadn't cut himself in six months. It was a big accomplishment and he would never throw it away. 

He wanted things to be like this forever.

**-10 years later-**

A lot could change in ten years, but that wasn't always a bad thing, not for Newt and Percival at least. They were living in the same house, and Percival was doing very well as an auror. Newt had every confidence that one day he could run the place.

Newt made friends with some of the other aurors, there was a girl named Tina that he liked a lot, and her sister Queenie was quite sweet too. Friends weren't something he had ever had a lot of, so he was happy to spend time with them, having tea at their house occasionally or going shopping with Queenie.

He and Percival still only told some people that they were together, nervous even though the idea of being gay was slowly becoming more normal. They would come out when they were ready though. Not that it had been an option to keep it away from Queenie. 

The first time she had seen them together she squealed and told them what an adorable couple they were, that she could tell how much love they held for each other. 

Newt was sure most people knew anyway, because they didn't hide that they lived together and they were too old to want roommates. 

Their nights usually had them curled up in bed, or with Newts creatures, Newt writing down everything he knew about them. He had talked a few times about possibly writing a book, something to show others how wonderful these creatures were. 

Because of that, Percival was sure to keep every page Newt set down organized, knowing the would just lose them if left to his own devices. 

Some of the creatures Newt had were big, and incredibly dangerous, and it worried Percival but Newt love them all so much that he didn't have the heart to tell him that maybe he should let them go.

Newt had grown so much. He was so confident and strong. He went on dangerous missions for his creatures and against all odds he came out on top every time. Some of the things Newt got himself into scared Percival more than anything he had ever had to do as an auror. 

Newt could take care of himself though, and he was too unique and brave to be kept at home so he would be safe forever. He needed to be free. 

He always came back to Percival anyway. 

He came back with wonderful stories and pictures and usually more than one new creature. Distance makes he heart grow fonder is what people always said, and he understood that now. 

Seeing Newt after a month of him being away was like being pushed right into heaven.

He came back for his animals too, knowing he had a duty to keep them safe.

It was amazing how Newt was able to love every creature equally, as Percival definitely had a favourite. His favourite was Dougal, the creature amused him and was often very sweet. He helped Percival get things from other creatures, he helped play little pranks on Newt, and most of all he always brought Newt little flowers like the first time they had met. It warmed Percivals heart.

He was so proud of his boy for keeping at it. Every day more and more people were accepting magizoology as a real profession. 

**-15 years later-**

Their engagement party was a big deal within MACUSA. When they announced it there was a big party, and Newt was sure that everyone who worked at MACUSA was there. Percivals had climbed up to being the director faster than anyone had before, and everyone seemed genuinely happy that their boss had found a lover.

The night was filled with eating and dancing, and Newt state glue to Percival all night.

He was having fun but he had never been to a party before. He hoped that he would get to go to more in the future if they were all like this.

Percival stuffed him full of sweet cake and tarts made by Queenies husband, giving him short kisses between bites before something else was being passed through his lips for him to eat. Once his belly was full and there were a few empty champagne glasses at the table he was taken to the dance floor.

Neither of them knew how to dance, so they held onto each other and swayed, but it felt perfect and as a slow song played Newt couldn't help but feel like Cinderella. He had been saved by his prince. 

They stayed out all night, before Percival helped him stumble into bed, heart swelling with love as he tucked the tipsy boy in. 

**-20 years later-**

"I loved the book Mr. Scamander" a teenaged girl said as she handed him a copy of his book to sign

A book signing hadn't been his idea, but seeing so many people who loved these creatures like he did was amazing. 

By the time he got home, it was late at night, and he collapsed into bed while Percival pulled him closer

"Good day?" He whispered

Newt smiled "very good day" he assured him, moving to lay on top of him 

"It was wonderful, one boy even brought his bowtruckles to show me" Newt grinned

Percival sat them up a little, parting Newts legs so his husband was straddling him and he could hold him closer "see? I always told you you would make a difference" 

Newt nodded, putting his hand on Percivals jaw as he kissed him lightly "I know" he whispered

"Thank you" he added, speaking quietly like everything was a secret

"For what, my sweet boy?" Percival asked 

"For staying with me.. for loving my creatures... thank you for not letting me kill myself" Newt said, leaning his head on his shoulder 

Percival hugged Newt close "you were too special to die, I knew it then as well as I do now. I will never let you feel that alone again" he promised.

That night they made love, and Percival made sure to kiss over every scar he could reach. Newt had insisted that his scars be left alone, so he could see how far he had come as they faded into white lines. 

And as Newt closed his eyes to sleep, wrapped in his lovers body heat, the last thing he saw was their wedding photos hung on their wall, and their framed certificate qualifying them to adopt a child.

**The End**


End file.
